Camogli - Genoa Isola Gallinara - Savona Isola Gallinara Agenzia Regionale per la Promozione Turistica “in Liguria” [email protected] www.turismoinliguria.it Seaside emotions www.turismoinliguria.it Art Settings History Trail Scents and flavours Sports itineraries A sea of gardens Sailing, windsurf, diving, whale watching, or simply sunbathing: there are hundreds of sea adventures in a holiday on the Riviera. Publishing Info Publishing Project and All Rights reserved to Agenzia Regionale per la Promozione Turistica “in Liguria”. Images: Archive Agenzia “in Liguria”. Graphic Project by: Adam Integrated Communications - Turin - Printed in 2008 - Liability Notice: notwithstanding the careful control checks Agenzia “in Liguria” is not liable for the Riomaggiore reported content and information. www.turismoinliguria.it Golfo dei Poeti. The place where your soul belongs. A warm embrace of jagged coastline to the East, and quiet beaches towards Lerici - little creeks, islands, and purple-veined white rocks in Punta Bianca: Golfo dei Poeti, the land that inspired Shelley and Petrarca, is the very eastern end of Liguria, at the border with Tuscany. Bocca di Magra www.turismoinliguria.it Isola del Tino 3 Lerici. Tellaro. Luxurious resorts with wide beaches, and The ancient strongholds built to defend wonderful hotels, framed by the Genoese the city core from sea invaders, serve today Castle dating back to the 12th century, are to keep the noise away, and offer all be good reasons why this little town in a relaxing hideout on the water. Tellaro is the Riviera di Levante is considered a pearl the typical Ligurian village where the of the gulf. Chosen by D.H. Lawrence and houses are huddled together along narrow the English Romanticists as their elected snaky paths. Divine simplicity. summer residence, today Lerici is the destination for elegant visitors all year long. Palmaria Island Lerici Porto Venere. The goddess of beauty could be the only one to protect this stretch of land. Portovenere, already well-known by the Romans, was destroyed in 643, and rose again in the Medieval Times, with its fortress-houses, the magnificent Genoese Castle, the Church of San Pietro, as well as walls, towers, the entrance door, and the Church of San Lorenzo, built by the Antelami master builders. Both a sea and inland village, Porto Venere is renowned for its beaches and cliffs, for the Muzzerone natural climbing wall , and the regional park of the Isle of’Palmaria, with its spontaneous vegetation and caves, only accessible by boat. Not far from the beach resorts sits the sea town of Le Grazie in the vicinity of the Varignano Villa. 5 Cinque Terre, a Wealth of Emotions. Punta Mesco and Punta Manara are the two capes that enclose an area of the region where the high cliffs fall sheer to the cobalt blue water. Here nature’s beauty and man’s skills meet along the 7,000 km of dry dwarf walls built to support the terracing structures. A web of stones, olive trees, and vineyards contains the mountains - a huge natural and cultural heritage enlisted among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and protected both as a Natural Park and a Sea Reserve. Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso are the five little towns this area was named after (Cinque Terre means Five Lands). These narrow towns are linked by paths and old steps, which clamber up the Mediterranean maquis, among broom bushes, plants of butterbush, rare agaves flowers, and fragrant lemons. The most renowned way is the Lovers’ Walk “Via dell’Amore”, the first easy leg in the Blue Route, dug in the rock between 1926 and 1928. To fully understand the reason why this path was named after love, we suggest you sit with your partner on one of the many stone benches along the way, possibly at sunset... heavenly romantic! Vernazza www.turismoinliguria.it Mount Fegina 7 Riomaggiore. A little town with light and shadow effects, sunshine and refreshing darkness along the alley walls. Riomaggiore, founded in 1250 in between two steep hills, enchanted the Florentine painter Telemaco Signorini with its beautiful colourful houses, the Church of San Giovanni Battista, and the ancient fishermen village located around the beach of Marina Piccola. Corniglia Via dell’Amore (Lovers’Walk) Manarola and Corniglia. Monterosso al Mare The people living in Manarola learnt how Vernazza. Monterosso. to tame nature and turn a cliff on the sea Vernazza seems to jump out of a Medieval The Italian poet Eugenio Montale used to into a fertile land. In this enchanting spot romance telling of knights and ladies, with describe Monterosso as a “Plain village they have been producing wine and oil for its ancient stately towers above the bay, made of stone, a refuge for fishermen and centuries. and its churches in Ligurian Gothic style. farmers”. The proof of such tradition is the old oil You can’t miss the magic of the fishing Nowadays the village is divided into a mill which was restored by the National boats (called lampare) when they set sail modern area, the sea resort of Fegina and Park - a visit you simply can’t miss before like little fireflies at sunset, or the fantastic a 13th century historic centre. splashing back in to the blue waters of this Cave of the Devil, 70 metres deep. When you roam across the little alleys you nice little harbour. will be stricken by the 17th century The nearby Corniglia, Roman little town Capuchin Monastery, by the walls of the enclosed on three sides by vineyards, has ancient fortress, the remains of the castle, an agricultural tradition too. and the Aurora Tower. 8 9 Tigullio and Genovesato: a Blend of Mysticism and Frivolity. Forests, thick formations of coral, purple branches bending beneath the warm waters, and then woods of fragrant maquis, ancient olive trees, and holm oaks in an inland territory that reaches the gulf - the elegance and glamour of Tigullio and Genovesato means refined little harbours and fashionable nights, promenades through medieval centres and celebrity sea resorts. But this area is also a treasure of wild nature and unspoilt sea - like an immense desert where you’re never alone. If you look at the horizon from Portofino, you may imagine Guy de Maupassant on his “Bel-Ami” yacht, setting sail for a lonely regatta; along the roads of Rapallo you may feel the fluttering spirit of Ernest Hemingway; and on the beach of Cavi di Lavagna you can still see the sea-lily planted by Lord Byron blossom. A holiday in these places can turn your imagination into poetry. Camogli www.turismoinliguria.it Paraggi 11 Sestri Levante. Between earth and sky, between the Bay that H.C. Andersen christened “Bay of Fairy Tales” and the Bay of Silence, Sestri Levante offers a wealth of thrilling experiences - sea sports, thrilling free climbing on rock walls that leap into the sea of Riva Trigoso, fashionable nights out in bars and clubs, the enthralling folklore of local festivals and events, the spirit of the little town, the peace of Punta Manara, triangular promontory which mirrors itself in the crystal clear water. Chiavari. “Key of the Valleys” is the meaning of the name of this enchanting little sea town, located as it is in a strategic position in the middle of the Tigullio area, in the alluvial plain created by the Entella stream. A focal point among the Ligurian sea resorts, Chiavari looks into the future, with its advanced hospitality structures and futuristic shipyards, and, at the same time, it remains rooted in the past, whit a very well preserved historic centre Court Tower, the courtyard of Palazzo Pizzorno and the Church of San Giacomo Rupinaro. A rich calendar of folkloristic, colourful events will provide additional emotions to your holiday. From the patron saint festival of Nostra Signora dell’Orto in July, to the fair of Sant’Antonio in January, passing through the International Show of Orchids (February of all odd years), the Festival of Tigullio (March and April), the Tigullio Maritime “Palio”, and the Golden Olive Award in September. A few kilometres away from Chiavari sits the town of Lavagna, famous for its 1500 boat-space tourist harbour, and the beach of Cavi, the widest in the Eastern area. www.turismoinliguria.it Sestri Levante 13 Portofino. Portofino guarantees its visitors a celebrity lifestyle. If you want to enjoy a panoramic view, we suggest you visit the Church of San Giorgio from where you can see the harbour, the Roman Portus Delphini, and the rich palette of characteristic houses. Portofino does not only mean architectural heritage (with examples like the Church of San Martino and the Brown Castle), it also means nature and landscapes. Off the Portofino promontory, in fact, a Sea Reserve is divided into three areas: the first one is enclosed in the creek called Cala dell’Oro; the second one, stretching from cape Punta del Faro to cape Punta Chiappa, - where you can see a variety of sea fans, red coral, and the beautiful sea fauna; and the third, an immense undersea meadow of Posidonia. You can swim in the blue sea or enjoy a diving session to discover the Mohawk Deer wreck, and then visit the green Park of the Mount of Portofino, with over 700 different flora species. For an unforgettable tour we suggest you walk or take the ferry boat to the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, a site protected by the National Trust for Italy. The complex is located in a fantastic panoramic spot, in a deep inlet in the indented coastline of the Promontory, and you may visit it any time of the year - experience the emotions of pilgrims following in the footsteps of 14th century monks.